The best gym bags for your kit

Your on-point gym kit deserves a bag with equal cred

Before the athleisure trend made gym wear a street style in its own right, you could get away with toting any old easyGym freebie to and from sessions. Well, just about. But now fitness is a fashion statement that – at least on gym days – you wear slung over your back.

Of course, there are also practical reasons to upgrade your locker-room luggage. From hard-wearing workhorses designed with city commuters in mind, to business-casual holdalls, it’s easier than ever to pick a bag that matches not just your style, but your lifestyle, too.

“Ergonomics and aesthetics are equally important,” says MH style director Eric Down. “Consider elements like weight, comfort and capacity. Does it have waterproof compartments for sodden gear and pockets for tech, food and grooming products? You want to disguise the fact you’re carrying all of the above.”

As with all good design, function is at its core, from water-resistant backpacks to covert yoga cases. Already feeling weighed down with choice? There’s no need to shoulder the burden: MH staffers tested the best and bagged up your top five.

PEAK PERFORMANCE: Though mere months have passed since The North Face introduced its Mountain Athletics fitness line to the UK, the outdoor brand has been helping climbers heft their carabiners and Clif bars up mountains for nearly 50 years. This durable duffle triumphs in simplicity and solid construction.

MH VERDICT: While traditional gym bags open with a linear zip, the Base Camp’s D-zip lets you access more of your kit at once so you don’t have to riffle through your belongings like a scavenging animal. Handily, the detachable shoulder straps let you use the bag as either a duffle or a backpack – perfect for the commuting athlete.

BIG BAG THEORY: The largest and baddest of the bunch, this technical duffle is heavy on functionality. Unclipping the toggles turns it from ‘spacious’ to ‘black hole’. Dual handles and a shoulder strap give you options for carrying – the bag manages a load up to 85kg – and the polyester construction can take serious abuse.

MH VERDICT: The option to dramatically increase storage capacity is a gamechanger, allowing this to do double duty as a (bank holiday) weekender. The water-resistant exterior holds up in bad weather, too,
so you can leave it on the ground in the rain. However, it may not fit in smaller gym lockers – be mindful of space.

COVERT OPS: Bringing your gym kit to the office is admirable, but even the more sartorially adept will struggle to pull off a colourful sports bag in a corporate setting. With a muted, minimalist design (and neo-camo liner for style points), Lululemon’s duffle works hard without blowing your cover.

MH VERDICT: If you’re more interested in earning a promotion than self-promoting as the ‘office fitness guy’, this bag keeps a low profile, transitioning from gym to office and beyond. An outer zip pocket guards your phone and keys while water-resistant fabric holds up against both light rain and grande Americanos.

NAMASTEALTH: With separate storage spaces for your yoga mat, clothes, water bottle and towel, this cross-body messenger bag is a one-stop shop. The eco-friendly material is comfortable (physically and morally), while the sleek, black design lets you fly under the radar, avoiding any ‘yoga bro’ stereotypes.

MH VERDICT: This bag is for guys who wouldn’t be caught dead parading a rolled-up mat around town or, god forbid, to the office. You can even fit a full set of gym kit inside it, too (yes, that includes trainers). The separated compartments with mesh panels will keep you organised, while minimising post-Bikram odour.

ROLL WITH IT: Under Armour’s Storm tech is behind some of the best water-resistant sports gear on the market. Combined with a roll-top design to stop water infiltrating the bag’s spacious main compartment, it solidifies this pack’s position as your best defence against anything the weatherman (or anyone else, for that matter) can throw at you.

MH VERDICT: Nothing short of full submersion will dampen the contents of this bag. Well, in the main compartment, at least; don’t pack your stamp collection in the outer pocket. A great gym-day default, the backpack straps make holding an umbrella easy. Because you need shelter, too.

Men's Health, Part of the Hearst UK Wellbeing Network
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